baker



E. K. BAKER.

Am oF MANUFACTURING WHEELS.

APPLICATION FlLE DEC. 3. i919.

1,368,420, Patented Feb. 15,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES,

ERLE KING BAKER, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

PANY, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, yA-ooJstroKATIoNor ILLINOIS.

PATENT J OFFICE# AssIGNoR To BAKER WHEEL & RIM

AKT or MANUFACTURING'WKEELS.

Specification of Letters Iratent.y y i Patented 14"(gbk 15 Application filed December 3, 1919; serial No. 342,189.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, Enmal citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago,"county of Cook, and State `of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in the Artof l.,\/Ianufac` turing Wheels, 0f which the following isaV specification. l

My invention relates to motor yvehicle wheels of the kind thatare equipped. with pneumatic tires;and in particular, Vithas to do with wheels of thatv classl which I have made known as semi-wood wheels. y

The object ofmy invention is soto im-v prove the art of manufacturing such wheels that the time ofmaking the'same shall be reduced, the cost reduced and theinfherentelasticity and resilience ofthe wheel im proved and advantageously utilized.

A socalled semi-wood wheel of my in'- vention'has radial spokes which are made ofhickory, or other sufricientlystrong and resilient wood, and these spokesfbear an endn less, metal fixed 'rimguvithout the interposi-y tion of a separate felly. Whateverv the method followedA in assembling the spokes within the endless rim, I have found, as set forth in my Patent No; 1,324,293 of Decemf" 'ber 9, 1919, that it is desirable frequentlyy and indeed usually desirable topositivelyk swage, compress or upset the fix/ed rim circumferentially after it isplaced on the'y spokes in order to insure the circularity of the wheel, give it the circumference` suitedn tire, or, as suggested in Figs. 6 and 10, ythe xed rim may be of a shape vwhich adapts to the tireto be used, andl also'tomore firmly force the inner ends or butts ofthe wooden spokes together, this lastrbeing for the purpose of converting'such butts `into an allwoodV hub center of substantially uniform density throughout, and hence providing best possible foundation or base for `the re'- nIa-inder of' the wheel. y n

This invention as compared with that'of' saidPatent No. 1,324,293, comprises an in-k termediate step or accomplishment k'whereby thefixed metal rim (after being circumferentially: upset and then released fromthe f swaging tool) is preventedV from such molecular recovery of reaction as \wouldy tend'to increase its effective circumference and diminish its pressure upon the spokes.

AThe nature of my invention and the meansk by lwhich itis carriedinto effect vwill be read` ily understood on reference to the accompanyingfdrawingm-in which, Figure V1 is ar KING BAKER, a

com.'

plan view kof the typical wheel of my inven-l tion, shown in assembled condition within the group of yradially movable jaws of the I upsetting press, the full lines showing the l y completed Operation and the dotted lines showing the parts before the press has started its compressing 'Stroker-'Fig 2 is ayplan or sideview of the completed wheel where-- inthe endless metal felly has recovered its substantially ltrue circularity; Fig. k3 is an enlarged viewfof a peripheral sectionof the wheel,-taken from Fig. 1, that is, as the parts' appear while in the press ;+Figs. 4, 5, V6, 7 ,f j

8,9 and 1Q are cross-sectionalviews exemplifying various` shapes in which the fixed rimk of the wheel may bemade, all thereof being such as to adaptthem to yield to the compression herein described,'without materialn distortion from the shape in which they are originally hooped up, welded and rolled. Referring tothe drawings for typical de. parts, 3, are' so flanged. kas to. resist'k circumferential elongation, radial distortion and lateral distorlv tion by any 'of the forces which 'may be ex-f erted thereonby or through the spokes, 3, or

-by the tire whichthe part, 5,c`arri'es. This part, 5, is'called the fixedfrim 0f the wheel.

As suggested in Figs. 4l and 5 it may have lianges adapting'fit to hold a' pneumatic to receive afdemountable rim.

The spoke ends maybe joined oriattached: *Y

to the fixed rim in 'any desired manner adequate to the interlockment ofthe rim' and spokes against relative displacement. So

far as this invention` is' concerned it suffices toregard the'fixed rimas seated directly upon the'ends ofthe spokes, rather than the manner inwhich it is fastened thereto. In other words, for ythe purposes of this case the manner in which the spokes areV connectedto the xedrim may be disregarded except in the fact and to the extenty that in the finished wheel the fixed rim is lstrongly tensioned upon the body of the spokes'and hence is in Lstrong frictional engagementwith'the ends thereof. f y n As shown in Fig. 1,the wheel kis supposed to be ina horizontal ypl ne, that being the distances along axes which converge at the center of the wheel and which serve to reduce the endless and initially oversized cir cular fixed rim, in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter detailed.

The construction of the wheel and the operation of the swaging press being now understood, my novel method may be considered. I begin with an endless metal fixed rim, 5, which is of an oversize, that is, ofrexcessive circumference with respect to that size of pneumatic tire with which the particular wheel is to be used; and, also, prepare the correct number of wooden spokes, 8, in a length which is oversized or excessive with respect to the length they are to have in the finished wheel. In respect to the words, length of spoke, as used herein, it should be understood that the initial longitudinal dimension of each spoke may be of an actual over-length with respect to the size in which it is finished, or the same effect of overlength may be secured by making the mitered butts, 3, of the spokes wider than they will be when pressed together to form the hub center of the wheel. As a rule I observe both of these factors in preparing the spokes.

With the described parts at hand, I begin by assembling a full complement of the spokes, 3, in a single plane (which description includes a slightly dished condition) the inner ends of the spokes abutting throughout to form the hub-center of the wheel. This simple assembly of the spokes is a suliicient preparation for the application of the over-sized fixed rim. For wheels of other constructions and to insure greater uniformity therein a preliminary pressure is exerted upon every spoke to drive the mitered butts firmly'together and take up differences in the density of the different pieces of wood from which the several spokes are made. Following this spokedriving operation, and while holding them in compressed condition, I may next trim or shape the outer ends kof the spokes to a uniform length or radius with respect to the wheel center (the added length of tenons upon the spokes is here disregarded) and I then apply the metal rim.

' In lwhichever way they are assembled, the outer ends of t ie spokes define a circumference which is larger than will be defined thereby in the finished wheel. In other words, it still remains to drive the spokes farther toward the center of the Wheel for the final sizing of the wheel and the final consolidation of its hub center, and such action always takes place, although the actual linal movement of the spokes may be so slight as to be hardly perceptible.

Having prepared the wheel body, that is, the group of radial wooden spokes, I then apply the endless metal rim, 5, thereto. vIf desired, the relative dimensions may be such as to require the exertion of force in order to lodge the body of spokes within the endless rim, or, if desired, the group of spokes and the rim may be accurately positioned in the swaging press or machine and the latter may be depended upon to force the rim, 5, into engagement with the ends of the spokes. In either case the rim and spokes are placed within the grasp of the circular group upsetting jaws, El, and the latter are then simultaneously driven inward, the force applied being suicient to actually swadge or up-set of the metal rim until it is firmly lodged upon the ends of the spokes.

rI`he pressure faces, J', of the jaws, J, together define the shape of the circumferential or rerimetrical shape which the metal rim will have upon the completion of the inward movement of the jaws; I have found that if thepressure faces of the jaws conform to curves or arcs which cause them to coincide with a true circle common thereto at the moment of their arrival against the stops which limit inward movement, a very peculiar and detrimental action takes place in the metal rim immediately, or soon after, the jaws are retracted to permit the removal of the wheel, from the machine. Perhaps it will be obvious that as the jaws press upon the ends of the spokes either directly or through the medium of the encircling rim the ends of the spokes will be left at uniform distances from the true center of the wheel. Now when this same condition is to be observed in those parts of the fixed rim which form the arcs between the several spokes (and this would be the condition with the swagingfaces of usual curvature) I find that all of the motion of the jaws is not fully or actually absorbed in the compressed metal, but on the contrary, upon release from the machine, the metal part expands or reacts to a considerable degree with an accompanying increase of circumference or loss of circumferential tension on the spokes and a perceptible tendency to spring outward from the ends of the spokes. It is extremely desirable that when the swaging operation is finished the metal rim shall be thereby left in a state of strong circumferential tension on the spokes and the expansibility of the metal tends to defeat the attainment of this object.

In my early experience with semi-wood wheels, I secured a nearly equivalent elfect by performing the operation with the rim in a hot state and depending upon the linal shrinkage of the metal to overcome the objectionable reaction of the upset metal. lVorking with hot rimswhile successful, is somewhat diicult, and it is the purpose of this invention to render the hot operation unnecessary.

I accomplish this by forcing the arcs (parts between the spokes) of the fixed rim farther toward the center of the wheel than those parts which are inlabutm'e'nt with the spoke end; in other words, I subject the fixed rim to seemingly excessive compression and cause it temporarily to suffer an ex cessive loss of circumference, then upon releasing the fixed rim from the swaging machine the ensuing reaction of the metal in the arcs accomplished no more than the restoration of the arcs to conformity with a true circle, and leaving the rim in a state of strong circumferentlal tension, hence exc ertlng heavy compresslon upon the body of c The initial polygonalr distortion of theA normally circular fixed rim may be carried to such a point as to leave the arcs thereof perceptiby flattened, if the rim be one which is to receive a demountable rim, but in the case'of a fixed rim which must directly carry a pneumatic tire it is desirable Y ference.

`consists in circumferentially upsettin that the polygonizing vof the rim be so i ited asto insure the finishing of the wheel in as nearly as possible atrulyrcircula'r form,

vr40 a wheel of more than the vspecified circum-r withoutpermitting such reaction as to yield e' Having thusvk described 1. The herein described improvement in the art of manufacturing semi-wood wheels,

' comprising in ygeneral ythe forcible circumferential compression ofthe endless metal rim directlyupon 'and until firmly seated 'against the ends ofthe wheel-spokes with my invention rI 'i l claim as new anddesire to secure by Let-` ters Patent: f f

duev conformity to true circularlty, and in particular, consisting in.y simultaneously flatteningfthearcs of the rim (thevportion's f.

between spokes) to an extent which prevents the return of said arcs to orbeyond the normal circumference, and whereby the rim yis p i left ina state of strong circumferential tension upon the spokes. 'n l 2. The hereindescribed improvement in the kart of making semi-wood wheels lthat endlessl metal rim upon `the ends, o

the i the f spokes by means ofcompression jaws, each c arranged or grouped between the spoke positions, and each conformin to a circle of greater radius than that which includes the endsof the spokes, substantially as and for thel purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my handY this 20th da of November 1919.

, ERL KING BAKER. 

